Lakeland Dairies donate to air ambulance

​The Chair of Lakeland Dairies, Niall Matthews and Vice Chair Keith Agnew presented a cheque of £5,000 to Air Ambulance NI, the charity behind the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS).
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Commenting on the donation the Chair said: "We realise how vital a service the Air Ambulance is for the whole community and hope that this donation will make a difference to a future patient.”

Kerry Anderson, Head of Fundraising from Air Ambulance NI said: “This contribution will fund the medical team reaching the next critically ill patient and that could be life saving.

"The speed of the helicopter means advance patient care is delivered in optimum time, with interventions including administering blood, inducing a coma, and advanced analgesia.”

Vice Chair Keith Agnew and Chair of Lakeland Dairies, Niall Matthews presenting a cheque to Air Ambulance NI for £5,000Vice Chair Keith Agnew and Chair of Lakeland Dairies, Niall Matthews presenting a cheque to Air Ambulance NI for £5,000
Vice Chair Keith Agnew and Chair of Lakeland Dairies, Niall Matthews presenting a cheque to Air Ambulance NI for £5,000

The HEMS has been tasked on circa 3,500 missions since it started almost six years ago.

It is provided by way of a partnership between the charity and Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. Each day Air Ambulance NI requires fundraising of £6850 to sustain and develop the service.

Kerry added: ‘We are encouraging other businesses to support whether that is by making a donation or getting staff together in a fundraising team building event like our dragon boat race on Friday 15th September 2023.”

More information on air ambulance service and charity can be found at www.airambulanceni.org

Each day costs it costs £6,850 and £2.5m is needed each year to keep air ambulance service operational. It relies entirely on support from the public.